Terrify Me
by Delgodess
Summary: She saw him for what he really was. Why couldn't they? Oc
1. Why?

**Disclaimer:**All characters of Kuroshitsuji belong to Yana Toboso. Kate is mine.

**Summary:** She saw him for what he really was. Why couldn't they?

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She just couldn't understand it.

Why the people around her couldn't see him the way she did.

He was perfect. Every word, every action choreographed to perfection. He never made mistakes.

But that in its self_ was _his mistake.

He was_ too_ perfect.

She watched him, whenever he came close. She watch how his hands, white gloved and graceful, ran the dusting cloth over the stair railing, leaving only shining, polished wood behind. Or, how he balanced priceless china figurines in one hand and _never_ fumbled, _never_ dropped even _one_. How he walked, confidant, self assured, his lithe body moving almost fluid like down the hall towards the Young Master's room. The way he fingered the kitchen knives, caressing each sharp edge with an almost-reverence.

It was disgusting.

And she had no idea why.

The feeling, like alarm bells ringing in her mind, twisting her belly, squeezing her heart and causing a terrified scream to claw at her throat.

She had to choke it back.

Every.

Single.

Time.

At first, she thought it was just nerves. It was a new job, with new faces and a new home. She was bound to be anxious. After all, it's not every day you get an offer to work for an Earl. Even a kid Earl at that. But the more time she spent here, the more she started to realize that it wasn't any of that.

She did her duties and knew the Phantomhive Manor well. She knew the gardens just as well as she knew the house.

She knew Bardroy was a lousy excuse for a cook, Finnian broke cutlery just by being in the same room as it, and that though she vehemently denied it, MeyRin was a peeping tom.

She _knew_ the routine.

She _knew_ she should be comfortable by now.

But she wasn't.

And it was all because of him.

It had to be.

She was fine with everyone else. She was in a room, chatting with MeyRin and then _he_ walked in.

That damn butler.

He glided forward, black suit as clean and unwrinkled as the day he got it, though he's had it for months now. She stopped talking mid sentence as her mouth automatically clamped shut, preventing the inevitable scream from escaping.

He was wearing that oh so fake polite smile of his as he looked at her, _through_ her, sliding his eyes quickly up her body before letting his gaze fall on MeyRin.

He came towards them, questioning MeyRin about a certain tea set he found broken this morning. The other girl turned away and began cleaning a crystal vase the moment MeyRin's face decided to turn into a tomato. She made her way to the far side of the room as her friend began stammering out excuses.

Despite her unease, she smiled softly.

MeyRin was so predictable sometimes. She was the clumsiest maid you would ever meet, which often made one wonder if she would be better suited for something else. The girl grimaced, knowing _exactly_ what _she_ was better suited for.

MeyRin's voice rose hysterically, signaling either an upcoming panic attack or an all out faint.

She quickened her pace, fluttering her damp dusting rag over items quickly. She was almost to the door. If she could just reach it, she was sure that this sick feeling of dread would go away.

Her hand was closing around the door handle when all went quiet. She turned it and pushed but the latch stuck. She's breathing harshly now and all she could think about was putting this door between herself and _him_.

"Kate."

His voice was silky smooth, dark and deceivingly kind.

Sometimes, was almost as if he knew.

She resisted the urge to freeze, forcing her body to relax as she slowed her breathing and turned to face him.

"Yes?"

She made her voice clear and angled her head so her hair covered her eyes.

"MeyRin seems to have fainted again, would you be so kind as to help me take her to her chambers? It won't take long."

She clenched her hands tightly behind her back so he wouldn't see them shaking.

She just couldn't understand it.

She lifted her head and looked into his red eyes.

Why couldn't the people around her see him the way she did?

"Yes… Sebastian."


	2. Bleeding

Today the Young Master was expecting a visitor.

Which meant that Sebastian was going to be extra hard on them. It meant he would be hounding them, shadowing their every move, and making sure they made everything perfect.

Which was impossible, because none of the staff in this manor knew what they were doing.

They were all standing in the kitchen, backs strait and determination shining in their eyes. Well, at least the rest were. Kate was just bracing myself for the butler's entrance. Staff meetings were one of the few times that she had to endure the head butler's company.

She shivered and nervously clutched the broom in her hand tighter.

If her fellow servants weren't so disaster prone, she wouldn't even be here. She sighed, shifting her hip so it would lean against the lip of the kitchen counter. The last time she had left all three alone in the kitchen, she had nearly had a heart attack.

How you can get flower on every available surface was beyond her.

The others were talking about the guest in whispers, so she moved closer to hear.

"Yeah! Apparently he's one of the Funtom Company heads! He must have something pretty important to discuss with Master Ciel." Bardroy finished explaining. MeyRin pushed up her glasses.

"Wow! Master Ciel _never_ has guests!"she paused thoughtfully, "Well, there's Lady Elisabeth but she is hardly a guest any more is she?"

Finnian and Bardroy nodded knowingly to each other and Kate rolled her eyes. How could someone who always barged in unannounced be a guest anymore? Sheesh. The girl was practically family.

"What are you four up to?"

Startled, they leaped apart and remained silent. Sebastian eyed them, tapping his foot impatiently, polished black suit shoes glinting with the movement.

The men looked sheepishly at each other, MayRin turned bright red and Kate looked away abruptly, stone faced. She grit her teeth in distaste as that feeling, always the same one, came over her.

Dread, the bitter taste of terror, and a touch of panic.

She shut her eyes.

It was always the same.

She breathed in deeply as Sebastian waved his hand dismissively and began his lecture.

"We have a guest that will be arriving this afternoon. As such, we must prepare to show him the best of Phantomhive hospitality."

He turned his face to each of us, his black hair moving softly over his cheek bones.

"MayRin," Her head snapped up.

"Y-yes, S-sebastian?"

"You will set the china and serve the tea. Finnian, you will prepare the grounds and make sure they are groomed to perfection." Finnian fist pumped and agreed enthusiastically.

"Bardroy, begin making dinner. I will assist you later."

Her head was still turned away and her jaw had started to twitch.

"And Kate…"

She looked up, focusing on his right shoulder rather than his meeting his eyes.

"You will accompany me."

His voice was flat and emotionless. But when she glanced up in shock, he was smirking. And in the next instant, his face was blank and he had that polite smile on his lips. The fake one. She blinked to make sure she had seen it before looking him over.

He looked good today. Perfect actually. He was wearing a grey vest, accenting the shining silver buttons on his open black suit jacket. His tie was knotted neatly, and snugly slung around his neck. His white gloves were spotless, she noticed, as they moved closer to her face. His eyes, when she looked into them, were beautiful red rubies that seem to shine more today than they usually did. And when he took a strand of her hair and brought it to his lips, she couldn't help but realize…

That he was too close.

_Way_ too close.

Kate's eyes widened and she violently shoved herself backwards, wincing when her lower back hit the counter. She glanced quickly around the room, noticing that the others had left and had already started their assignments.

They were alone.

She swallowed thickly. He still had a strand of hair between his finger tips.

"It's grown longer." He commented thoughtfully, twining it gently. Kate placed the broom handle in front of herself and met his eyes.

"Yes." She breathed out tersely, before sharply tugging it out of his grasp.

His hand remained suspended for a moment, before slowly drifting down to his side. His eyes narrowed and bit into hers. He hadn't moved closer, but suddenly it was as if he was in her personal space, though she knew he was a good two feet away from her. The air between them was filled with a tension she didn't understand. It was dark and twisting and she couldn't help it.

She was terrified.

So she looked away.

And just like that, it was gone.

"Prepare the parlor in the north wing. I will meet you there."

Kate nodded and continued to stare at the kitchen tiles. She waited until she heard his near silent footsteps, until she heard the door click shut behind him, before releasing her breath and collapsing on the floor.

It was only after she stood back up that she realized the broom handle had shattered and that her splintered hands were bleeding all over the front of her dress.


	3. Screams

Kate had been in her room, painfully pulling slivers of wood out of her left hand, when the screaming started.

She jumped, making the splinter she was in the process of pulling out stab harshly in the opposite direction. She doubled over, cradling her hand and cursing under her breath. By the time she had recovered, the screaming had stopped. Kate gingerly placed her hand, which was now bleeding again, into her lap and raised her head to listen. Hearing nothing, she shrugged and continued with her work.

As weird as it sounded, screaming was actually quite common in the Phantomhive household. Whether it was MayRin squealing because she broke the dishes _again_ or Bardroy yelling as he tried to put out a fire in the kitchen, someone always seemed to be making a racket. Hell, even Finnian screamed at the top of his lungs when he was excited. Kate smiled wryly. Though mostly annoying, sometimes it was actually quite amusing to see him flailing about.

She inhaled sharply through her teeth as she pulled out a particularly long sliver and grimly started on the next one. After her encounter with Sebastian, she had wrapped up her hands as best she could and then endured a long, agonizingly day of cleaning and preparation.

All of which went unnoticed in the chaos that was a day at Phantomhive Manor.

Predictably, the resident nut jobs, ehm, staff, made a mess of things. MayRin almost face planted while holding some china, Bardroy burnt _all_ of the food and Finnian somehow managed to ruin _the_ _entire_ garden. Luckily for them, (and unluckily for her) they had Sebastian. Under his direction, they were able to create a beautiful display of patterned sand and flowing water, make an exotic dinner, _and_ impress their guest with their superb hospitality.

Or rather, the others did. Kate had escaped as soon as she was able. The work of the day had pushed the splinters deeper into her palms and fingers, causing the gauze she had put on just hours before to become red with blood.

It was now late evening, and she had just finished cleansing and wrapping her right hand. Now Kate was starting on her left. The blood had caked and dried under the bandages, causing them to stick to her skin and wounds. Pulling them off was excruciating.

"Stupid _idiot_." She grumbled to herself.

"If you hadn't gotten distracted, then this never would have happened!"

She scowled before sighing and letting her head fall back against her bed rail. Her eyes glazed over thoughtfully. Sebastian Michaelis was an attractive man. She recognized that. But that didn't change her reaction to him.

Kate bit her lip and tried to think about it more clearly. Despite his immaculate appearance and charming personality, she couldn't help but shy away from him. And she couldn't explain why.

Kate frowned.

Last time she had ignored a feeling like this, she ended up regretting it.

Badly.

She shuddered, violently pulling the last splinter out. This time, the pain didn't bother her. It was a welcome distraction. Anything to stop her thoughts from wandering to darker times.

She flinched and sat up; distractedly reaching for the roll of bandages she had left on her night stand. And then blinked in confusion. It was empty. Kate rolled to the side, letting her legs fall over the edge of her bed. Searching with her eyes turned up nothing, so she rose slowly to look more thoroughly. She checked behind the nightstand, under her bed and atop her wardrobe but still she couldn't find them.

Sighing in irritation, Kate clumsily opened her bed room door and started down to the kitchen. Phantomhive Manor was an eerie place after dark. So few of the lights were lit and there were so many shadows that one could hide in.

She fumbled, missing a step as she reached the stairs. Shakily, she griped the railing. Kate's lips twisted wryly. It would be just like her to die by tripping down the stars. She reached the ground floor and wound her way through the corridors to the Kitchen. She groped the wall for the light switches, cursing when she turned them on and blinded herself.

Blinking back the spots in her vision, she turned towards the cabinet above the stove, reaching for it with her stinging right hand. Kate opened it and groaned. The damn bandages were at the back. Shifting, she placed her left hand on the stove for support and gasped at the terror that swept through her.

The smell of fear was thick in the air as she realized with dread what she was experiencing.

One of her Visions.

And from the looks of it, a vivid one.

There was a figure, a man running, franticly searching for escape. His features were blurred to Kate, obscured by the Visions haze. No matter how hard she tried, she could't see his face. His breath was ragged and desperate. He was hurt, dragging a useless limb behind him. She could taste his pain, his panic, and finally his relief as he opened the stove and hid himself within it.

Then, she see the monster.

The air caught in Kate's throat and she instinctively tried to wrench her hand away from the stove. She failed, her hand welded to its surface by the force of Her Vision and in her frozen state she could do nothing.

The monster, a mist of blackness to her eyes, prowled calmly through the kitchen, footsteps completely inaudible. If she hadn't see it, she wouldn't have known it was there.

It came closer and Kate began to be able to distinguish features within the darkness. Talined feet flashed and sharp obsidian feathers spiked. A tail whipped, cat-like, about its long legs. It was inches from her, bending over the stove to peer in at the petrified man inside. He, because there is no mistaking its masculine body at this proximity, said something lowly to the hidden man then turned the oven dial on high.

Kate's finger nails dug into the sore palm of her right hand, making blood well. She saw the burners flare up, heard the man's agonized screams and smelt the burning hair and flesh. Her eyes became glassy, breathing harsh as she was forced to watch this. She tried to grab the dial but her hand passed through it and she was once again reminded that she was an invisible observer, nothing more.

The monster was standing back, coolly watching the spectacle with a critical eye. As if he was a chief waiting to inspect his cooked meal. Kate felt bile rising in her throat, stinging as it made its way upward. She swallowed thickly, the noise hard and loud in her ears.

The monster started, whipping his head up and staring at her in momentary shock. His red eyes pierced through her, so hauntingly familiar, and she realized with mounting horror that the creature just feet from her could actually see her. He recovered quickly, eyes narrowing as he pushed himself away from the far counter and started towards her. She turned franticly to the side, tugging at her glued hand and trying to break the Vision before he could come any closer. She knew it was too late when she felt his hot breath on the nape of her neck. She sucked in sharply and wished she hadn't.

He smelt of blood and dead things.

She tried to hold on to the stove top, but his long clawed hands ripped her around to face him. Lifting her bloody right hand to ward him off, Kate was stunned when her palm rose up and actually met his chest.

Visions and flashes of death flited in front of her eyes, dazing her and making her cringe even farther away from him. He snarled sharply, snatching her limb and holding it in a tight grip. His touch was burning and painful. Kate looked up at his face, only to be met with his cold eyes. They smoldered hatefully, pinning her with their barely restrained fury just as easily as his body pined hers against the still burning stove. She heard a scream and glanced down.

Shocked and terrified, she realized that she was being molested by the monster as his most recent victim burned beneath her. The monster's face was against her neck, teeth hissing at her collar bone. A hand clenched at her hair, jerking her head up to meet his gaze.

For the first time he spoke.

"You shouldn't be here…Kate."

Kate gasped , lifting both her hands and pushing with all her strength. She flew forward through his body, landing with a loud crack on the kitchen tile. Her eyesight blurred, then sharpened, all traces of the Visions haze leaving her. She chanced a terrified glance around the kitchen, relived to find that the monster was gone and so was his victim.

Inhaling heavily and gulping down some much needed air, Kate slowly let herself relax. The Vision, she knew, was over.

Thank goodness.

Kate stood slowly, shakily reaching out and inspecting the stove's flawless surface for any signs of a struggle. And as she thought, there was nothing.

She glanced about the kitchen nervously, silently hoping that no one had heard her and reaching quickly into the cupboard for her bandages. She took more than was strictly necessary, desperate to be out of the now menacing room and not wanting to come back any time soon. She left swiftly, the memory of the man's screams plucking at her mind and the smell of burning flesh still thick in her nostrils.

It was only hours later, when she woke from a restless sleep to close her bedroom window, that Kate realized she had heard the man's agonized screams long before she had ever had the Vision.

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**AN: Whew! I tried to write the third chapter in first person, but the tenses were getting all weird on me so I revamped the whole thing and made it third person limited. I hope you liked it. If I missed anything, like an "I" or what not, please be so kind as to tell me.**

**Reviews, like smiles, can really make someone's day. Review please. =)**

**~Delgodess**


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